GMAT Critical Reasoning Practice Test 01

1.

Sue: Commercial flights currently contribute more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in one year than does the whole of Africa. If we want to reduce global warming we need to restrict the number of flights we take.

Dave: Did you know that by taking one inter-continental flight you cause more pollution than you would in twelve months of car travel?

Dave’s response to Sue’s comment serves to

A. reinforce Sue’s contention that flights are a major contributor to increased carbon dioxide levels
B. add more weight to her contention that we should reduce the number of flights we take
C. mitigate the force of her argument by suggesting that there is an alternative approach
D. suggest an alternative that will reduce the effect of pollution
E. question whether she really understands the severity of global warming

2.

It is not unusual to see the ball fall into a black slot on a roulette wheel four times in a row. But for it to fall five or six times in a row into the same color is very unusual. Therefore you can win money by waiting for a run of five of the same color and then betting against that color.

If the roulette wheel in question is a fair wheel, which of the following observations or facts, if it were true, would best reveal a fallacy in the logic?

A. If there were a reliable way to win at roulette it would be well-known by now.
B. It is hard for a player to keep track of what went before for the time required.
C. The probability of getting a particular color decreases with the number of times the color has appeared.
D. The probability of getting a particular color is always the same no matter what has gone before.
E. A person who makes money this way once or twice, will carry on to lose that money after a few more times.

3.

On the basis of the Big Bang theory scientists predicted levels of Helium-3 in the universe that are ten times greater than the levels actually observed. According to the original model, Helium-3 is produced when low-mass stars burn up hydrogen and become ‘red giants’, as well as being produced in the Big Bang itself. Researchers have now produced a new model in which the Helium-3 produced by a red giant is pushed to the star’s interior and burnt up. Hence the Big Bang theory is no longer undermined by Helium-3 data.

The two portions in bold-face are related to each other in which of the following ways?

A. The first highlights an observation that tends to undermine a particular theory. The second is that theory.
B. The first is a fact that undermines a theory. The second is context for accepting that theory.
C. The first points to an inconsistency in a particular model; the second is the author’s main conclusion.
D. The first is a challenge to a classic theory; the second resolves that challenge.
E. The first is a position that the author does not accept; the second is the author’s position.

4.

The committee on sexual discrimination in the workplace has highlighted Supremo Company as a chief offender. Of the twenty senior executives in the firm, only one is a woman. And of the forty junior executives, only five are female.

Supremo could best defend itself against the charges by showing that

A. male and female executives at the same level have the same qualifications
B. they pay the same salary to senior men and senior women
C. ten times more men than women apply for jobs with the company
D. the work pressures and long hours make jobs with the company unattractive to married women
E. all job applicants who were rejected had fewer qualifications than those accepted

5.

Josh has twenty years of typing experience behind him; therefore, if you are looking for an efficient typist to enter your data into the new system, you need look no further.

The speaker assumes that

A. Twenty years of practice ensures typing efficiency
B. The type of typing required for the new system is identical to what Josh has been doing
C. Josh’s job profile is the best that the new employer is going to get
D. Josh is an outstandingly fast and accurate typist
E. Josh will fit well into the new office

6.

It has been suggested that long-term prisoners, on release from jail, be given a reasonable state pension to reduce the likelihood of their resorting to crime. Most people instinctively reject the suggestion as they feel it would be like rewarding criminal activity.

The supporters of the prisoners’ pension scheme have criticized those who reject this possibility, by claiming that for the critics......

Which of the following is the most logical completion of the sentence above?

A. emotion is more important than justice
B. punishment for criminals is more important than crime prevention
C. crime prevention is not an important issue
D. money has too high a value
E. the law should not be concerned with what happens after jail